Electrolytic cell.



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I3. LEEUEETT, @E Ci-l/CAGO, ILLINOIS. .ASSIGNOR TO Djl/BOURNONVILLE COM.-

F IilEl/if YORK, Y., AND CHICAGO, LLINIS, CORPORATIDN F ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Specification of Letters Eatenc.

Application lled November 8, 3.93.53. Serial No. 729,751.

"fh r/ZZ "1142710171 ii 97mg/ Concern i:e il; known that. l. dorm B. llluion'rr, :l citizen et the United States, residing alt Ulliengir County' of Cook, Stilte ot' illinois, herve li' :rde o, certain new :ind useful invention in lectrolytic Celis, et which the iliollowing' in :l :niecilicltion- 'lfhig invention rehlteg to electrolytie cells :lnd particularly to apparatus; ot' this clues designed ior use in decolnposingy walter or other liquid into its constituent gases.

The. olriect oli the invention is to lH'illlplilfy and. improve 'the congtruction of :lppurlltus oi? this nutrire und to render the. suine more el'iicient in operation und more econonlielll to construct.

il t'urther ohiect olf the invention is to provhlc ln' oieetrolll'tie ilppflrutus ol the nzll'ure ret-erred to wherein provision hulde it'or 'the eilieienl: separation nl? the glisser; into r-.fhieh the unter or other liquid is deconlpo.L4 ifi, und to nnlilltnin such scpnrntion.

i V"l'ther oh'jeel'es oi the, invention will :lppezlr more 'i'ullv hereinzl'lter.

The iniention 'consueta euhsllntinlly in the construction, conlhiinltion, locution. und relative urralneenlent. ol3 pulls; ull :is will he lnore :fully hereinafter set, forth, es shown in the ucconlpunying d lawines, :lud lhnllly pointed ont in the appended elrlinls.

i Referring to the tieconlpzlnylng drawing, und to the various views and reference signs hppeelring thereom-llgure 'l :l View in vertieul section showing an electrolytie apparatus constructed in accordance with the princil'lles oit my invention, the line et sec tion heini; indicated at l, l, 2, looking in 'the direetioli'o the arrows. Fig. 2 is a vier-s in section of al. portion et' thoelectrolyle cell on the line Q, 2, Fig. l, looking in the. direl'ftion oil' the arrows. Fig. il is :l View in side elevation parts in Section on the lille il. il, Fig. of the end element. ot the cell.

l'The rnne reference nunlerfll derigtnlltes suine. pllrt wllere.'er it occur` throughout vel-ul views. in the drawing, reference letter [l designates trulli or other recept-:wle 'adopted to contain the writer or other liquid electro deoomposed.

tes suitable blocks or supports the llel'lloill oli the lese-el A., if

the il' Adown word ly.

deiired or required', upon which 'the cell elelllents :lre supported.

The eell elements :1re desigual-ml ruspe".- tively hy numerals il. 5, the element il is the end element ol :i .series designed to he lSecured together to forni the (,oillpletc eell, the elements 5 heinel dupliczlteu of euch other :lud als lnzlny ot' them .employed als nlzly he required to llulhe up al cell ol the required size or capacity. llzlch element. 5 is ill the torni ol.5 :l chzlnnel haring the sides (i :md end portions 7 extended heyond theI edges oi the sides t3, thus Vforming il hell whieh, in une, is: designed to lle inverted, that is, the. ehnnnel of the element is presented rlllroufrll thecomlecting portion S of ezlrllelelnent 5. that is. the hilse or weh which connects the Side Weils G thereolE nre formed openingS through which extend the circuit terlllinnl rods or connections l) Jfor the electrodes. All opening also through lne wel) portion 8 of the cell lllcnlhers 'l, 5

receives therethrough il pipeor other suitln practice l prefer to bevel the lower,

edges of the sides of the bells as indicnted at 12 5in. order to facilitate the enlrzlnce ol' the gases evolved lirollror at the uurl'zlce electrode plates, and to insure. the collect-ion. of the ases within the channels ol the .,lellls. llxtellrillg into euch hell in :ln electrode lnenlber ,i3 the ternliunl rods t) heine' welded or otherwise :suitably connected or llttzlched to the upper edge thereof :ls indicnted :it 11i, Suid electrode 'lliltes extending to :l considerable distancey llelow the lower edges of the internlcdine coll nn'nlhers :ls clearly lsholl'n in the draining'. 'l`he ternlinal rods Q nluy und preferably should he eiliciently insulated lronl he hells. 'l have shown :l simple :l1-ralngcnlentlwherein l insulate uch terminal rod 'with :l sleeve ,i5 ot ot the fr I y monate ings of the webs of the bells and each of which carries a nut 17 on its inner end vadapted to clamp the insulatingsleeve rmly in place. The outer end of the pipe actions 16 carry a threaded cap 18 through which theterminal rods 9 pass, a suitable insulated washer being placed fwithin the 'bore of said cap. The washer 20 is held in lace bv a ca 2lb i means of a nut 22 mounted upon the threaded end of the terminal rod. This construction affords a very simple means for connecting and insulating the terminal rods.

The outermost cell members 4 have the paratively short distance downward over .the electrode plates.

The outermost elements 4 are also provided with ears 2li to receive suitable clamp rods indicated at in Fig. 1, by means of which the elements composing the cell are securely clamped together..

Said rods also form supports for the intermediate cell members 5 which are provided with integral lugs 26 to rest thereon. In assembling the cell as many interother suitable porous material mayi mediate elements 5 as may be required to malte up a cell of the desired capacity, are placed flat-wise against each other between the outermost elements et and are clamped together in this relation by the clamp rods 25. Interposcd, however, between each cell clement is a curtain of asbestos 27 which in practice preferably extends into the space between the sidewalls G of the adjacent cell elements and also to a point somewhat below the lower edges of the electrode plates 13. These asbestos curtains are clamped at their ends between the extended portions or fingers 7 formed at the ends of the elements 5, these extensions or lingers boing provided for this purpose. In this manner the asbestos curtains are maintained in proper position and relation. Of course, it will l'be understood that in place of asbestos\sheets,

e employed. My invention, therefore, isfnot t0 be confined or restricted in respect to the material used for the porous separators between adjacent cell elements. j l

' In the use of an electrolytic cell, lconf structed as above described, the terminal rods 9 of the alternate cell members-are connccted t'o the pole of one sign of the source of current while the terminal rods of the intermediate elements are connected to the pole of opposite sign of the source of current, with the result that in the case of the decomposition of water, for instance, the hydrogen gas is evolved from one electrode plate of two vadjacent cell elements and is collected within the bell of said element,

while oxygen is evolved from the electrode plate of the other of said adjacent elements and is collected in the bell of its element, the porous curtains 27 preventing the gas evolved from one electrode plate from gaining access to that evolved from the plate in the adjacent cell element. In this manner, the two gases are maintained in a state of separation and are separately collected and conducted to separate storage tanks, gasometers or'service pipes in theusual manner.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and a construction of electrolytic oell embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with cell elements in the form of inverted bells, assembled together in flat-Wise relation against each other, said cell elements having extended portions or ngers at their ends, and a porous diaphragm interposed between adjacent 'cell elementsand clamped and held in place between the end portions or fingers of the cell elements. l

2. In an electrolytic cell, cell elements in the form of inverted bells, placed flat-wise against each other, the depending side walls of said elements being beveled, said elements having end portions or fingers extending beyond the side walls thereof, an electrode plate supported within each bell and extending beyond the edges of the side walls thereof,y and orous diaphragms interposed between adjacent elements and held and clalmped at their ends between said end 1ineers.

b3. In an electrolytic cell, cell membersin the form ofI inverted bells, assembled and held together one against another in flat-wise f relation, the outermost -element having an extended side portion extending below the side walls of the intermediate elements.

4. In an electrolytic cell, a series of inverted bell shaped members, each having an electrode plate supported therein, the outermost of said' members having ears and the intermediatev members having supporting lugs 'at the 'ends thereof, and rods engaging said ears to clamp the assembled bells together, said clamping rods forming supports upon which the lugs of the intermediate members rest, l

5. In an electrolytic cell, a cell elementin the form of an inverted belhan electrode plate extending into said bell, slaid'bell having openings through the base'` thereof, terminal rods passing through said'openings and secured to the upper edge `Aof the electrode plate, an insulating sleevfainsulating said rods, a pipe section :inclosing each rod and carrying a nut for clamping said insulnting sleeve in place,an insulatmg Washer witnesses, on this rst da'y` of November insulatngsaid Tug; a for demping the A. D. 1912. y L 1 sume 1n ace, anf a e lver plpe conneo- A y tion alsopextendng through Daid base por- JOHN 'B' BULDLT i5, tion. Vtnesses:

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set L. M. SHIELDS, my hand in the presence of the subscribing H.A JOHNSON. 

